Pastor Stephen Dedman

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭26‬

Question
Is there unresolved anger you need to bring to God and address today?

Context
In Ephesians 4, Paul makes a shift from speaking about theology to practice. Ephesians 4:26 sits within a section where Paul contrasts the old self with the new self in Christ (4:17–32). He addresses real, everyday issues like: truthfulness, anger, work, speech, and forgiveness. By quoting Psalm 4:4, Paul acknowledges that anger is a human emotion, but he warns that unchecked anger quickly leads to sin and gives the devil a foothold (4:27).

Application
Anger itself is not condemned in Scripture. Paul acknowledges that anger will come but he draws a clear line between righteous emotion and sinful response. The danger isn’t feeling anger; it’s what we do with it. When anger lingers, it hardens into bitterness, resentment, and division.

Paul’s instruction to resolve anger before the day ends is a call to urgency. Unresolved anger gives space for the enemy to work in our hearts and relationships. God invites us to deal honestly with our emotions, bring them into His light, and choose forgiveness and reconciliation over silence and distance.

Truth For The Day
Anger surrendered to God leads to healing; anger built up leads to harm.

Pray
Lord, search my heart and reveal any anger I’m holding onto. Help me respond in a way that honors You and brings peace instead of division. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬

Question
Are you trying to live for Christ in your own strength or are you allowing Christ to live through you?

Context
Galatians 2 takes place as Paul defends the gospel of grace alone through faith alone. He recounts how the leaders in Jerusalem affirmed his message to the Gentiles and how he later confronted Peter for withdrawing from Gentile believers out of fear. Paul makes it clear that adding the law to faith distorts the gospel. Righteousness cannot be earned; it comes only through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Application
We spend so much energy trying to prove ourselves to God, to others, and even to ourselves. Yet Paul reminds us that the Christian life does not begin with effort, but with surrender. When we are united with Christ, our old identity no longer defines us.

Faith is not striving to become acceptable; it is trusting that we already are because of Jesus. Every day we wake up, we don’t need to carry the weight of earning God’s favor because we walk in the freedom of living from it.

Truth for the Day
Because I am justified by faith in Christ, I no longer live to prove myself — I live by grace, with Christ living in me.

Pray
Lord, help me rest in the finished work of Christ. Teach me to live today not from fear or performance, but from faith and gratitude. Let my life reflect the grace You have shown me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭53‬:‭1‬

Question
In what area of your life might God be calling you to stop relying on yourself and start trusting Him again?

Context
Psalm 53 mirrors Psalm 14 and was written in a time when moral decay was evident among God’s people and surrounding nations. David isn’t merely addressing unbelief, living as though God does not see, care, or act. This kind of thinking leads to corruption because when God is removed from the center, everything else begins to unravel.

Application
Saying there is no God doesn’t always come from our lips but it often shows up in our lives. We do it when we ignore His Word and rely solely on our own wisdom. A life lived without God’s authority and presence drifts toward emptiness and chaos.

Today, examine your heart honestly. Are there areas where you’re living as though God isn’t involved in your time, your finances, your relationships, or your worries? Invite God back into every space. Wisdom begins when we acknowledge Him not just with our words, but with our trust and obedience.

Truth For The Day
A wise heart doesn’t deny God; it depends on Him.

Pray
Lord, forgive me for the moments I live as if You are not at work. Search my heart, restore my trust, and help me live each day aware of Your presence and truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.